Corner reinforcing plate



Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to angular plates adapt-, ed for use in the reinforcement of the corners of wood, fibre board, corrugated board, leather, and like parts, especially in the construction of cabi- 5 nets, chests, storage boxes, luggage and similar articles; and the object of the invention is to provide a corner reinforcement of the character described made from a single sheet metal blank folded centrally to form angularly extending arms, each arm being cut out to provide extending flanges having integral prong members on inner opposed surfaces thereof, the latter being adapted to be forcibly passed through or driven through the respective supports and bent or riveted over in securely anchoring the bracket to the respective supports, the latter being arranged at an angle to each other, and with these and other objects in view, the invention. consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, eflicient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

. The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the several parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a corner portion of a part of a predetermined article of manufacture, showing one of my improved corner reinforcing plates arranged thereon.

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial s ction on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing slight modifications. L

Fig. t is a view similar to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 showing another adaptation of the invention arranged on supports of different character; and

Fig. '7 is a lan view of a sheet metal blank from which the reinforcing corner plate is formed.

The corner plate forming the subject matter of this invention is adapted for use in conjunction with various types and kinds of containers, for example, for the top and bottom walls or for the end walls of the cabinets or boxes such as shown in my Patent No. 1,933,099 dated Oct. 31, 1933, and for the corners of top and bottom walls of cabinets such as shown in Patent No. 2,070,924 dated Feb. 16, 1937, and other devices of this general type and kind. 7

I am well aware of the fact that corner reinforcing plates are old and well known and have been used on boxes, cabinets, luggage and similar articles. However, in all of these instances, it has been the common practice to either use nails, tacks, staples, rivets, or other fastening means for securing the reinforcing plates in position, which necessitates the handling of separate parts in mounting the reinforcing plates in position. It is the principal object of my invention to pro-' vide a unitary device of the class under consideration, that is to say, a device wherein fastening means or prongs are formed integrally from the sheet metal of the reinforcing plate and extend angularly with respect to the inner surfaces thereof so that the corner plates may be mounted in position upon angularly arranged supports in a single simplified operation. The angularly extending pronged ends pass through supports in the direction of movement of the corner plate toward the corner of the article to which it is attached, thereby'serving to draw the article together to form a snug arrangementof the plate upon the corner of the article to which it isattached.

. For the purpose of illustrating one method of carrying my invention into effect, I have shown at H] in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, one corner portion of a top, bottom or end .wall of a container of the type and kind illustrated in the patents heretofore cited. This wall includes angularly extending peripheral flanges ll upon which are arranged wood strips l2 for the purpose of reinforcing said flanged-edges. In the usual procedure, the wood strips l2 are glued, and also tacked, nailed or otherwise secured to the flanges l I. These strips are also secured together'where they abut as at 13 at the corner portions of the walls H1, or atleast certain of such corner portions.

At it, Fig. '7 of the drawing, is shown a sheet metal blank from which one of my improved reinforcing corner plates I5 is formed, the blank being folded centrally on the line E6 to form similar arms ll, each cut out or apertured as seen at [8 to form at the attaching ends !9, outwardly projecting converging prongs 20, which in viewing the blank as in Fig. 7, form inconjunction with the rounded end portions Ila, triangular apertures of what might be termed arrowhead shape. The arms Ilextend at-the upper and lower edges thereof to form projecting flanges 2| in connection with which the prongs ,20 are f-oldable, on the lines 22 so that when the arms I! are arranged at an angle to each other and the prongs 20 are arranged at right angles to the flanges 2|, the outer edges 20a of the prongs will be arranged substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the corner plate l5 onto the angular walls l2 as will clearly appear upon a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing. This permits the angular plate to be drawn snugly upon the angular walls of the corner to provide a strong reinforcement therefor. The inner pointed ends of the prongs 20 may either be bent outwardly as seen at 202) in Fig. 3 of the drawing or the same may be bent inwardly as seen at 20a in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

In the construction as seen in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the reinforcement is simply secured to the wood strips l2, the prongs being riveted over upon inner surfaces of the strips, whereas in Fig. 5 of the drawing, the prongs are made sufficiently long to extend through the flange Ii of the top H] and are riveted over as seen at 28d.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, I have shown at Illa a cover part having an outer flange Ila arranged upon the outer surface .of the wall 23 of a cabinet or container. At 24 is shown a corner reinforcing plate similar to the plate l5 having prongs 25 similar to the prongs 20, except for the length thereof, and these prongs have inwardly bent or riveted over ends as at 26. It will thus be seen that my improved corner reinforcing plate may be used in conjunction with boxes, cabinets or other containers which are completely assembled and where the corner reinforcement may be used not only to protect and guard the corner portions of the article, but also as a means for coupling two parts of the article together as is also taught in a fashion, in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

In addition to providing a guard and reinforcement to the corner portion of the article to which the plate is attached, the plate also serves to securely couple the angularly arranged parts of an article so as to maintain proper alinement thereof one with respect to the other and to prevent any possible relative shifting. The pairs of prongs pass through spaced portions of the support, thus preventing the support from shifting on the separate arm portions II. In other words, where single pins, rivets and the like are used, a slight relative swinging movement is possible between, for example, the wood strips l2 and the plates, whereas in the present construction, such movement is impossible. It will thus be apparent that instead of simply forming corner reinforcements, the angular plates also serve to aline parts one with respect to the other.

In reinforcing plates of the type and kind under consideration, it is common to employ on the angularly disposed surfaces thereof, outwardly beaded or domed portions, but as these features are well known to all those skilled in the art, the same are not herein disclosed in order to simplify the illustration and further in showing the simplest adaptation of the invention. However, it will of course be'apparent, that the side arms may be so fashioned in certain adaptations or uses of the device.

It will also be apparent that the width of the corner plate as well as the length thereof may be varied to suit different adaptations and uses of the device. In like manner, the shape and angularity of the prongs may be modified to suit the different uses, and the latter is especially true when arranging the corner reinforcement upon walls which are disposed at different angles with respect to each other.

As a matter of defining the structural arrangement, especially as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, it may be said that the outer edges 20a of one pair of flanges are substantially parallel to the outer edges of the other pair of flanges. Another mode of defining this structure would be to say that said outer edges of the flanges are parallel to a line perpendicular to the angular corner of the reinforcing plate.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An angular reinforcing plate of the character described comprising angularly extending arms, each arm having a pair of flanges extending in the plane thereof, opposed edges of the flanges having coupling prongs extending at right angles to the inner surfaces of said arms, and all of said prongs having outer edges arranged substantially parallel to a line bisecting the angle between said arms.

2. An angular reinforcing plate of the character described comprising angularly extending arms, each arm having a pair of flanges extending in the plane thereof, opposed edges of the flanges having coupling prongs extending at right angles to the inner surfaces of said arms, and the pair of prongs at one end portion having outer edges arranged substantiallyparallel to the pair of prongs at the other end portion of the plate.

3. A reinforcing corner plate of the character described formed from a sheet metal blank having similar arms, side edges of said arms being substantially parallel, arrowhead apertures at the ends of said arms, said apertures dividing the ends into spaced projecting prongs extending inwardly from the side edges of said arms, said prongs being perpendicular to the adjoining portions of said arms and in a plane parallel to the side edges of said arms, said prongs being substantially triangular in shape, and the pointed ends of said prongs extending beyond the ends of said adjoining arm portions.

4. A reinforcing corner plate of the character described formed from. a sheet metal blank having similar arms, side edges of said arms being substantially parallel, arrowhead apertures at the ends of said arms, said apertures dividing the ends into spaced projecting prongs extending inwardly from the side edges of said arms, said prongs being perpendicular to the adjoining portions of said arms and in a plane parallel to the side edges of said arms, said prongs being substantially triangular in shape, the pointed ends of said prongs extending beyond the ends of said adjoining arm portions, and outer edges of said prongs being substantially parallel to a line bisecting the angle between said arms.

5. A reinforcing corner plate of the character described formed from a sheet metal blank having similar arms, side edges of said arms being substantially parallel, arrowhead apertures at the ends of said arms, said apertures dividing the ends into spaced projecting prongs extending inwardly from the side edges of said arms, said prongs being perpendicular to the adjoining portions of said arms and in a plane parallel to the side edges of said arms, said prongs being substantially triangular in shape, the pointed ends of said prongs extending beyond the ends of said adjoining arm portions, and the prongs on one arm having outer edges arranged substantially parallel to the outer edges of the prongs on the other arm of the plate.v

6. A reinforcing corner plate of the character described formed from a sheet metal blank having similar arms, side edges of said arms being substantially'parallel, arrowhead apertures at the ends of said arms, said apertures dividing the ends into spaced projecting prongs extending inwardly from the side edges of said arms, said prongs being perpendicular to the adjoining portions of said arms and in a plane parallel to the side edges of said arms, said prongs being substantially triangular in shape, the pointed ends of said prongs extending beyond the ends of said adjoining arm portions, and the base of said arrowhead apertures being concavely curved to furnish greater length to the center end portions of said arms.

7. A blank for a corner reinforcing member of the class described comprising an elongated sheet of metal, side edges of said blank being parallel, each end of said blank comprising angul-arly arranged edges converging toward a point centrally of saidblank and beyond the corresponding ends of said side edges, each of said ends being apertured centrally to form pairs of triangular flanges extending inwardly from the side edges of the blank and being separated at said central point, each aperture being substantially triangular in shape, and the apex of each aperture terminating and opening outwardly at said 1 central point.

8. A blank for a corner reinforcing member of the classdescribed comprising an elongated sheet of metal, side edges of said blank being parallel, each end of said blank comprising angularly arranged edges converging toward a point centrally of said blank and beyond the corresponding ends of said side edges, each of said ends being apertured centrally to form pairs of triangular flanges extending inwardly from the side edges of the blank and being separated at said central point, each aperture being substantially triangular in shape, the apex of each aperture terminating and opening outwardly at said central point, and the base of each aperture being concavedly curved. HARRY DERMAN. 

